Polishing Different Types of Metal – Make your Rims and Wheels Shine

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Article by Sarah Gorren

Admit it; you turn your head when you see a shiny new car pass you on the road. Furthermore, if you take a look at the metal or chrome on your vehicle and realize it could use a bit of spit and polish, well, aren't you a tad envious of the gleaming car that just whizzed by?

Polishing the metal on your car will really enhance its appearance, yet this shine is not always easy to achieve. In addition to purchasing the right cleaning products, there is a process to give the metal on your car a brilliant shine. Here are some tips and information facts on metal polishing for your vehicle, depending on the type of metal you're polishing.

Chrome: This metal type holds a polish better than most others and is one of the most common types of metal found on cars and motorcycles. It is tarnish-resistant and is really only impacted by rust, which can occur after exposure to moisture over time. When there is heavy rust, the only two options are to polish or re-chrome. Depending on the part, re-chroming can be expensive, but polishing chrome doesn't take much time at all and is fairly simple with the right polish. Look for one that is specific to cleaning chrome and keep in mind that just a bit of polish goes a long way, so use the polish sparingly for best results.

Aluminum: This is one of the easiest metals to polish but it is also one of the most easily tarnished. Polishing aluminum requires that you sand it first to get it as smooth as possible. To polish it, use a soft cloth and aluminum or "mag" polish to wipe it down. You should always apply the polish directly to your cloth and not the aluminum itself, remembering to work it into the cloth well before applying to the aluminum. Rub the polish onto the aluminum until you have the result you're looking for.

Stainless Steel: This metal doesn't get quite as shiny as the other types of metal, but is fairly durable and can take on a fairly decent shine. Because this is a hard metal, you may find that it is much harder to clean. However, once you get it looking good, you will find it was well worth the effort, since stainless steel can look brand new again when cleaned properly. Again, look for a polish specific to stainless steel and use a new cloth each time you want to shine the stainless steel on your vehicle.

If you want an all purpose method of polishing the materials on your car without going through the trouble of choosing a different polisher for different metals, you might just opt for paste wax. You can just wax and buff the parts and enjoy the resulting shine.

About the Author

Sarah Gorren is the Marketing Manager for 3D Products, a manufacturer of wheel and tire care products. 3D Products offers a complete line of auto detailing supplies including chemicals and car wash accessories.